This article is part of our NFL Draft series.
Areas of Need
1. Cornerback
Leon Hall will be fighting his way back from a second torn Achilles in three years, and the next two men on the depth chart are 30-year-old Adam Jones and 35-year-old Terence Newman. Jones and Newman actually did a solid job in 2013, but with 2012 first-round draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick failing to develop thus far, the Bengals could undoubtedly use some youth at cornerback.
2. Defensive End
After playing 2013 under the franchise tag, Michael Johnson is widely expected to head for greener pastures. Margus Hunt and Wallace Gilberry provide the Bengals with options for an in-house replacement, but at the very least, Cincinnati will need to restock defensive line depth.
3. Quarterback
Andy Dalton figures to get another year under center, however, the Bengals may want to start looking at other options. A splashy pick is unlikely here, but a mid-round quarterback would make sense. Inking wide receiver A.J. Green to a long-term extension should be a no-brainer. Signing Dalton long term? Not so much.
Potential Targets
*Denotes player who declared with eligibility remaining
1. Cornerback
First round
-Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State (6-0, 200)
-Bradley Roby*, Ohio State (5-11, 190)
-Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State (5-11, 200)
Second round
-Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech (6-0, 195)
-Brashaud Breeland*, Clemson (6-0, 185)
-Marcus Roberson*, Florida (6-0, 195)
-Jason Verrett, TCU (5-10, 176)
-Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (5-8, 190)
Third round
-Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Areas of Need
1. Cornerback
Leon Hall will be fighting his way back from a second torn Achilles in three years, and the next two men on the depth chart are 30-year-old Adam Jones and 35-year-old Terence Newman. Jones and Newman actually did a solid job in 2013, but with 2012 first-round draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick failing to develop thus far, the Bengals could undoubtedly use some youth at cornerback.
2. Defensive End
After playing 2013 under the franchise tag, Michael Johnson is widely expected to head for greener pastures. Margus Hunt and Wallace Gilberry provide the Bengals with options for an in-house replacement, but at the very least, Cincinnati will need to restock defensive line depth.
3. Quarterback
Andy Dalton figures to get another year under center, however, the Bengals may want to start looking at other options. A splashy pick is unlikely here, but a mid-round quarterback would make sense. Inking wide receiver A.J. Green to a long-term extension should be a no-brainer. Signing Dalton long term? Not so much.
Potential Targets
*Denotes player who declared with eligibility remaining
1. Cornerback
First round
-Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State (6-0, 200)
-Bradley Roby*, Ohio State (5-11, 190)
-Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State (5-11, 200)
Second round
-Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech (6-0, 195)
-Brashaud Breeland*, Clemson (6-0, 185)
-Marcus Roberson*, Florida (6-0, 195)
-Jason Verrett, TCU (5-10, 176)
-Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (5-8, 190)
Third round
-Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska (6-3, 215)
-Keith McGill, Utah (6-3, 215)
-Louchiez Purifoy*, Florida (6-0, 190)
Fourth round and later
-Chris Davis, Auburn (5-10, 200)
-Rashaad Reynolds, Oregon State (5-10, 190)
-Deion Belue, Alabama (5-11, 185)
-Nevin Lawson, Utah State (5-10, 190)
-Lavelle Westbrooks, Georgia Southern (6-0, 185)
2. Defensive End
First round
-Kony Ealy*, Missouri (6-5, 275)
-Trent Murphy, Stanford (6-6, 260)
Second round
-Marcus Smith, Louisville (6-3, 250)
-Demarcus Lawrence*, Boise State (6-3, 245)
-Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech (6-3, 245)
-Scott Crichton*, Oregon State (6-3, 265)
Third round
-Trevor Reilly, Utah (6-5, 255)
-Kareem Martin, North Carolina (6-5, 265)
-Chris Smith, Arkansas (6-2, 270)
-Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (6-4, 250)
Fourth round and later
-Aaron Lynch*, South Florida (6-5, 245)
-James Gayle, Virginia Tech (6-4, 255)
-Ronald Powell*, Florida (6-3, 240)
-Chaz Sutton, South Carolina (6-4, 265)
-Cassius Marsh, UCLA (6-4, 260)
-Brent Urban, Virginia (6-7, 295)
3. Quarterback
Second round
-Zach Mettenberger, LSU (6-5, 235)
-Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois (6-2, 225)
Third round
-David Fales, San Jose St. (6-2, 220)
Fourth round and later
-Tajh Boyd, Clemson (6-1, 225)
-Brett Smith*, Wyoming (6-2, 205)
-Aaron Murray, Georgia (6-1, 210)
-AJ McCarron, Alabama (6-3, 215)
